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Tag: 2008
November 15, 2024
William Upton
TRUMP TRANSITION 2024/5

FLASHBACK: Media Hyped Obama’s Potential RFK Pick in 2008.

The corporate media supported Robert F. Kennedy Jr. before they opposed him. In 2008, then-President-elect Barack Obama considered the scion of the Kennedy clan to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a policy brief where Kennedy Jr. inarguably holds far-left views. The potential appointment received almost effusive praise from the media, with POLITICO calling it “a shrewd early move.”

“Obama advisers said the nomination would please both Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.),” Mike Allen, a reporter for the corporate media outlet now owned by the German company Axel Springer SE. He added: “It also would raise the profile of the EPA, which would help endear Obama to liberals who may be disappointed on other issues important to the Democratic left because of budget restrictions.”

Allen notes, “Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and son of the late senator and attorney general Robert F. Kennedy, has long championed a cleaner water supply for New York City.” Continuing with the praise, the story mentions that RFK Jr. fought against corporate and government polluters who had been dumping waste in the Hudson River, adding that the future independent presidential candidate is also an avid falconer and white-water rafter.

For POLITICO in 2008, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was a “star.”  However, today, Kennedy Jr.—tapped by President-elect Donald J. Trump to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—has lost that star status in the eyes of the corporate press. While Kennedy himself has changed little since 2008, it appears the urging of special interests in Big Pharma and the fact that Trump is appointing him are the primary drivers of the cascade of negative media coverage.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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The corporate media supported Robert F. Kennedy Jr. before they opposed him. In 2008, then-President-elect Barack Obama considered the scion of the Kennedy clan to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a policy brief where Kennedy Jr. inarguably holds far-left views. The potential appointment received almost effusive praise from the media, with POLITICO calling it "a shrewd early move." show more
November 28, 2023
William Upton
Politics

Previous Republican Campaigns Say Iowa ‘Faith CEO’ Bob Vander Plaats Solicited Cash For Endorsements.

Pay-to-play accusations are nothing new for Iowa evangelical political operative Bob Vander Plaats, who recently endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis shortly after receiving a check for $95,000 from his campaign. Similar situations have played out in Iowa over the past several campaign cycles.

Vander Plaats was accused of selling his endorsement to Rick Santorum’s presidential campaign during the 2012 Republican presidential primary, with Santorum himself admitting the Iowa evangelical leader said he needed cash to make the most out of the endorsement.

“What he talked about was he needed money to promote the endorsement and that that would be important to do that.”

– Rick Santorum.

During the 2008 Republican primary, Mitt Romney’s campaign says Vander Plaats offered an endorsement in exchange for financial support. When the Romney team refused, Vander Plaats endorsed Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.

Vander Plaats appears to ‘launder’ the contributions for endorsements through ‘sponsorships’ and ‘advertisements’ in his Family Leader Foundation’s literature and events. Former Vice President Mike Pence’s 2024 presidential campaign was approached about making a $25,000 contribution in exchange for an ad in a booklet. Marc Short, a Pence campaign adviser, said they determined the contribution was a waste of donor money and declined.

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Pay-to-play accusations are nothing new for Iowa evangelical political operative Bob Vander Plaats, who recently endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis shortly after receiving a check for $95,000 from his campaign. Similar situations have played out in Iowa over the past several campaign cycles. show more